Christine O'Donnell Hub

A group of nine LGBT elected officials from New York including City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and state Senator Brad Hoylman is urging President Obama to speak out on behalf of the LGBT community and refuse to make a diplomatic trip to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, reminding him of the "gay rights are human rights" memo issued by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Says the letter in part:

Given that President Putin and Russia have enacted laws to
criminalize gay people and supporters and deny human rights to their
LGBT citizens, they should not be the beneficiary of any trip by your
office until they fully restore all civil rights to LGBT people in their
country. Recent actions taken by the Russian government have led LGBT
citizens to face not only a society that is intolerant of their basic
civil rights, but also a country that would imprison them for declaring
support for their own fundamental rights as humans. This has promoted an
atmosphere of hate where gay people fear for their own lives and
safety.

We write as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) elected officials from New York City in anticipation of your deciding whether to continue or cancel plans for an upcoming diplomatic trip to Russia to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. While you are considering whether to cancel that trip in light of Russia's decision to give asylum to Edward Snowden, we also urge you to consider the country's horrendous treatment of members of the LGBT community and its clear human rights abuses aimed at our community. Russia has become a country that persecutes anyone who might be LGBT or supports gay rights.

As then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on behalf of your administration, “Gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights. It should never be a crime to be gay.” Given that President Putin and Russia have enacted lawsto criminalize gay people and supporters and deny human rights to their LGBT citizens, they should not be the beneficiary of any trip by your office until they fully restore all civil rights to LGBT people in their country. Recent actions taken by the Russian government have led LGBT citizens to face not only a society that is intolerant of their basic civil rights, but also a country that would imprison them for declaring support for their own fundamental rights as humans. This has promoted an atmosphere of hate where gay people fear for their own lives and safety. Police are allowed to arrest foreigners who are considered gay or pro-gay and detain them for up to 14 days. Under their new law, as a pro-gay supporter even you could be subject to arrest and imprisonment while in Russia.

Mr. President, you will remember that in December 2011 the White House released a presidential memorandum directing executive officers and agencies that deal in foreign affairs to address human rights abuses against LGBT people abroad and to pressure foreign governments to decriminalize homosexuality. Now it is time for you and your administration to directly act on this memorandum. The LGBT community and its allies in Russia are under attack and the victims ofclear human rights abuses. We urge you to stand in solidarity with us. Refuse any diplomatic mission to Russia until President Putin stops these abuses now and agrees to make Russia a country that proudly supports its LGBT community and its allies worldwide.

With gay marriage more common and LGBT people more accepted than even just 4-years ago, homophobic politics simply doesn't fly as high as it used to, which means that traditionally anti-gay Republicans now have to shift more toward the center to seem more tolerant.

On her show Tuesday night, Rachel Maddow explored this phenomenon and explains to viewers why they need to examine lawmakers' statements, and actions, with a fine-toothed comb.

On a related note, Maddow last night wondered whether GOP candidates will be too extreme to win in 2012, as many of them, including Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell, were in 2010.

Can LGBT Egyptians make space for themselves in a post-Mubarak world? Outlook unclear: "Egypt’s gays emerged buoyed from the uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak in February. Increasingly visible and willing to speak up, they show how upheavals across the Arab world could prove to be social and cultural revolutions, albeit with uncertain outcomes."

General Mills insists it didn't pull its ad campaign from teen soap Pretty Little Liars because of conservative pressure over a lesbian storyline.

Same-sex households up 60% in Florida's Tampa Bay area. One-in-five of those homes have children.

Gay marriage activists in Maine have started collecting signatures to get same-sex nuptials on the 2012 ballot.

President Obama and his daughters went book shopping while on vacation in Martha's Vineyard. The commander-in-chief is reportedly reading The Bayou Trilogy by Winter's Bone author Daniel Woodrell and Ward Just's Rodin's Debutante, both of which will no doubt get sales boosts.

Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth look like they're having fun while filming a fight scene for the upcoming Avengers movie.

More on Christine O'Donnell's instantly infamous walk off: "By walking off Piers Morgan’s show Wednesday night, former U.S. senatorial candidate Christine 'I’m Not a Witch' O’Donnell reminded us why we think she’s such a flake. And how embarrassing that her role model was a has-been beauty queen who did likewise during a TV appearance for the same purpose, over the same exact subject, in the same exact CNN timeslot."

Women on top: The Help rakes in more cash than that muscle man Conan the Barbarian.

Upsetting news out of Accra, Ghana: "Dominic Ackah Manlenzie says he has set up what he refers to as a 'special solution center for gays and lesbians' at his church to help people who so wish to break the habit." Hey, U.S. State Department, care to make a statement?

Home found for 18-pound Lobster saved from being boiled. The 70-year old sea creature will now live at the New York Aquarium in Coney Island. Definitely a step up from supper.

Iran reportedly sentences American hikers Shane M. Bauer and Joshua F. Fattal to 8-years in prison for "spying." The State Department's response: "We have repeatedly called for the release of Shane Bauer and Joshua Fattal, who have now been held in Iran’s Evin prison for two years. Shane and Josh have been imprisoned too long, and it is time to reunite them with their families.”

As we all know by now, failed senate candidate Christine O'Donnell walked away from an interview with CNN's Piers Morgan earlier this week.

The failed senate candidate appeared on Fox News' DC-affiliate yesterday and explained herself.

According to O'Donnell, she didn't leave because of Morgan's "creepy" sex questions, but because she had already gone over her alloted time. She also insists that Morgan's inquiries about gay marriage were not a factor in her decision, and tells her Fox host that her views on same-sex nuptials are exactly the same as President Obama's, Hillary Clinton's and Michele Bachmann's.

Former Senate candidate and current author Christine O'Donnell appeared on Piers Morgan's CNN show last night to discuss her new book, Troublemaker.

Though things went smoothly at the get-go, their exchange went downhill when Morgan began asking her about her past views, including her statements that masturbation is wrong.

After O'Donnell said she wouldn't address those comments, Morgan went on to ask the Tea Party favorite her opinion about gay marriage and Don't Ask, Don't Tell. O'Donnell wasn't having it, and told the host that he was being "a little bit rude."

She also wondered, "Don't you think as a host that if I say that's what I want to talk about that's what we should address?" To which Morgan replied, "Not really, no."

O'Donnell then got a cue from off-camera to wrap it up and promptly left. Morgan asked O'Donnell to reappear on his program this evening, but there's probably little chance that will happen.